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evil too. Death is the fruit of sin. If the fruit is evil, the root must be so. And does not this disposition to hate death, more than sin, prove that fallen man is more concerned about himself than God? And that he values his own ease more than God's glory? It arises from his pride, which induces him to think his sin little, and his punishment great.

Death shows the folly of an excessive love and fear of the crea ture. Fond creature, the object you love so dearly, and fancy unknown pleasure in its enjoyment, may be dead to-morrow, and must be dead soon! Why set thy affections on things below, and love, almost to distraction, a creature so frail, so fading as man? See, yonder young man looking into the grave-where lies the object of his warmest love. He weeps. He wipes his eyes. He fetches a deep sigh, and taking a farewell look, departs inconsolable. Death did not pity him, nor spare his beloved. Oman! seek a deathless object for thy supreme regard, and do not suppose infinite excellence in finite creatures; lest death, to you, or to them, should convince you of your folly. That child, in whom your "life is bound ;"— that wife or husband whom you love so greatly; that friend, without whom you cannot relish life, may leave you before the sun sets or rises again. Every favourite object, death may remove. He loudly cries" set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth." You may leave them. Yes, the favourite place, business, or scheme, which you now contemplate with pleasure, and pursue with diligence;-the dear friend, relative, fellow-christian you so much (perhaps too much) value, you may be called to leave, in less than a day, without so much as saying, farewell. Too strong an attachment to any thing "under the sun," sharpens the sting of death. Painful moment! which tears a man from the object, in which his heart centres. The folly of the fear of man, is equally plain, in the death of man. Trembling creature! the man who now slanders your person, deprives you of peace, hinders you of business, persecutes you for religion, threatens your character, hurts your usefulness-that vain, boasting, threatening mortal, may be the victim of death, and the inhabitant of the grave before another week is gone."Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man—that shall die?"

Death exposes the folly of covetousness; a disposition which, while it thirsts for more, robs a man of the enjoyment of what he has. Why such restless desires? Why such ceaseless and anxious endeavour? Why neglect thy soul, to obtain money which thou shalt never want, for when thou diest "thou shalt carry NOTHING away with thee." Grasping creature, "this night, thy soni may be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Think, wretched man, think! If you obtain your wish, you will not enjoy more; but unite (your heart more to this world, and render death more terrible. Death exposes the

folly of pride. The pride of beauty, birth, strength, wealth, learning, how unbecoming the man or woman, who must very shortly appear a poor, unamiable, degraded, helpless, perishing corpse. Proud man; the worm is thy brother, the earth is thy original, and thy house" the grave, is ready for thee."

Ambition! how dost thou appear in death? Death strips the ambitious man of his honourable place; discharges him from his office; transfers his power to another, and snatching him from a number of flatterers, compels him to hear and feel the truth of his own character, and the danger of his own condition.

Death exhibits the vanity of all earthly distinctions, and the folly of those who value them too much. Distinguished mortal, what will thy honours, wealth, reputation, friends or talents, avail thee in thy conflict with death? Can they bribe, or conquer him? Will they not increase the horrors of "the king of terrors," by rending thee from them all, and levelling thy condition with that of the poorest, and meanest? Your beloved distinctions are unknown beyond death. In Hell, they are distinguished by sin and misery; in heaven, by holiness and happiness; but your delights will die with you.

And thou poor man, why discontented with thy lot? Thou hast fewer snares, no flatterers, few diseases, less reason to love the world; and more reason to resign it. Be contented with thy lot. Improve thy condition, in prayer and gratitude; in faith and obedience; in industry and frugality; and thou wilt never repent that thou wast poor in this world, neither when you are leaving it, nor when you have left it. But many a rich man, in dying moments, will wish he had been poor, and his hell will be spent in recollecting, that "he in his life-time received his good things," to no good purpose, but to many bad ones. Man's averseness to death, makes him defer the thoughts of it, until he is compelled to think of it. He would not die; and he thinks he shall not die very soon. He always keeps death at a distance in his own thoughts, however near it may be in reality. Such a person cannot be happy he has always something to fear, and fear always "torments.' How much better to view death very near, when, in reality, it is some years' distance from us.

No. CLI.-LIBERTY OF SOUL.

How few, comparatively speaking, enjoy, in any eminent degree, the liberty of soul, which the primitive Christians possessed! The highest attainments of thousands, apparently upright Christians, are doubts and fears, and complaints of the sadness of their general frame of mind. Their low hopes, cold affections, and wavering faith, manifest at best but a small share of the spirit's influences. How few are strong in the faith, giving glory to God. How many

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lips are closed in public service, which would show forth God's praise, if the spirit enlarged their hearts? How vain and sinful the conversation of most professors! What can these things spring from! They are not the fruits of the Holy Spirit: but do they not prove his absence from such souls? If faith is feeble, the desires after God, few and faint, the conversation will be cold and carnal, the thoughts and affections awfully estranged from God, and the prayers of the closet will bear a sad likeness to the frame of the soul. 'O'Christian, O Christian, if this is thy state, what right hast thou to the title of Christian? Especially, if this frame is not merely occasional and short, but habitual; if thou art easy in this frame, and dost not double thy diligence in the means of grace, thirst more ardently, and pray with more importunity for the Holy Spirit. The sincerity of our desires after God will be followed by repeated and animated requests to him. Forget not, that Christ and the Bible are unknown and unenjoyed, without the Spirit of grace. Dost thou prize his influences? Does thy gracious temper, do thy solemn cries to God, prove this? O thou doubting, fearful, wavering, complaining soul; if thou didst but know more of the glory, grace, and operations of the spirit of wisdom, faith, and comfort, many of the days of thy mourning would be prevented. Value the Spiritthink of the Spirit-read of the Spirit-talk of the Spirit-reverence and honour the Spirit-pray for the Spirit-plead and wait for the Spirit-hope for and expect the Spint-sigh, mourn, wrestle, agonise for the Spirit, until upon thy soul he is "poured from on high."

No. CLII.-A CHRISTIAN'S JOY.

IF Christ is the object of a Christian's joy, at any time, why not at all times? The fact is plain, that no believers always rejoice in the Lord; and few rejoice in him generally. The cause must be sought in the subject of this joy-the Christian himself; not in Christ, whose person, character, love and offices are the same. He is immutably the same to the believer to-day, and for ever; and a believer's interest in Christ is invariable. There is no moment when he is not in union with and loved by the Redeemer. No outward condition, no inward conflicts, affect his relation to Christ. Death, which dissolves his connexion with the world, confirms his connexion with the Lord of Glory." Beside, a believer's prospects grow richer as he grows older. He contemplates the glories of the Redeemer, experiences his love, power, and care, and expects fullness of joy above. The believer has no ground of joy, unconnected with his salvation, and every thing relating to his salvation, is inseparably connected with Christ. Salvation includes numerous springs of joy, which are called "Wells of Salvation." These wells are

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fed by Christ. Every consideration of him, in faith, promotes the believer's salvation. The believer's election is in Christ; his pardon, righteousnes, and holiness are in him. Salvation understood in its source, received in its perfection and freeness, produces joy in Christ as the author of it, in all its parts. This joy is produced by believing the Scripture testimony of Jesus and his work. Receiving the spirit as the fruit of Christ's intercession, he administers spiritual might, a disposition to a diligent activity in the means of grace. "He draws water with joy," from objects of revealed truth. This implies reading, meditation, hearing, prayer, and conversation. Drawing water is not done by a lazy wish nor an idle endeavour, but by vigorous application. This frame is very important to the Christian. When Christ and his salvation is his joy, and he "joys in God through our Lord Jesus Christ," this frame is pleasant and animating. "The joy of the Lord is his strength;" and whilst exercising it, trials are patiently endured, temptations are resisted, corruptions are conquered, death is disarmed, and Heaven is endeared. The great hindrances of this happy temper are,—a disbelief of the special favour and special providence of God; judging of one's state and condition by unscriptural marks of a Christian; an ungoverned temper; a legal frame which withdraws the mind from Christ, and the entire freeness of his salvation; some sin favoured; or, a spirit of indolence. These are enemies to divine joy, and lead to a life of sense, of anxiety, of fears, doubts, and sin.

Joy in God is productive of praise to God. He is the object of a believer's joy in all his divine persons, relations, titles, perfections, engagements, and works. The more this is experienced, the more grateful the soul will feel; because God is the author, as well as the object of joy. The soul cannot perceive him, believe him, enjoy him, or praise him, but through a divine influence. And the more happy a soul is in God, the less satisfied will it be in its most elevated strains of praise. Because we most clearly discern his divine glories, when we most delight ourselves in him. And the clearer view, and more powerful enjoyment a soul has of God, the more it is affected with the greatness of the favour done it. This makes the soul strive the more to glorify God in Christ, and leaves it humbled and happy, holy and grateful, under a consciousness of its own unworthiness and inability to exalt the Lord.

There are various ways of praising God; but divine joy is not inconsistent with any of them, in which it is a Christian's duty to be found. Spiritual joy will always promote, but never hinder divine praise. But how is this heavenly work to be carried on? I answer: This must be determined by revelation. The word praise signifies confession; and this word will apply in any of the passages where it occurs; but the word praise will not, as in Prov. xxviii. 13; Psalm li. 3; xxxii. 5; Josh. vii. 19, &c. "Whoso offereth confession glorifieth God." Let any one consider the last verse of the fiftieth

Psalm in connexion with the foregoing, and ask himself if the word praise means any thing in that connexion. The word praise wi apply in many cases, but not in some. The word confession or acknowledgment, will apply in all the passages where the original word judah occurs. Whoso offereth a confession,-of his sins with penitence, of his mercies with gratitude, and of the divine excellences with adoration, glorifies God. Thus prayer glorifies Gol, because it is an acknowledgment of his sufficiency, his grace, his faithfulness, and wisdom. Suppose a believer embarrassed in his circumstances, he seeks divine direction. "Lord, my way is dark: I wish to know my duty, and discharge it, but have neither light nor strength. Make my way plain before me. This prayer implies a confession, that God is the God of knowledge, of power, of goodness, of wisdom, and truth." In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths," Prov. iii. 6. To ask for mercy in faith, is a confession of the guilt and ruin of the soul, the atonement of Christ, and the grace of God. To ask for the Holy Spirit in faith, is a confession of the efficacy of Christ's intercession, through which it is given.

So conversation, of a spiritual nature, is a confession and recommendation of God, and his truth. A habit of talking of God, is an acknowledgment that the soul knows no object of equal excellence; no subject of equal importance. So singing in faith, is glorifying God, and answers to the original word, which signifies to "thrust forth," "to hold forth." So to thrust forth a confession of the divine glories, works, or mercies, in a song. "With my song will I confess him," Ps. xxviii. 7. And what are the praises of Heaven, but confession of the divine persons, relations, titles, perfections, works, and glory? This confession is, no doubt, thrust forth with reverence, affection, zeal, and gratitude, becoming the object, the subject, and the place! Thus, believers should attempt to confess God, in one way and another, seven, that is many, times a-day; and act consistently with their confession. "Confession is comely for the upright," and for them only. Is it comely for a person to confess the wisdom of God, and trust his own? to confess Christ as a Saviour, and confide in his own righteousness? to confess God's holiness, truth, and faithfulness, and live in the practice of lying, dishonesty, and impurity? to confess the excellence of God, and be lukewarm towards him? the authority of Christ, and disobey him? Is this uprightness? Is not such conduct a confession of our hypocrisy, rather than praise? This view of the subject should comfort weak and distressed believers, who are fearful that they never praise God, because they never rise to that elevated devotion which they behold in others! Fearful soul; if thou didst but observe, that every act of faith is an act of praise, thou wouldest not so wrong thyself. Dost thou not confess thy sin with shame, pain, grief, and hatred ? What is this but a confession of the goodness of God's law, the

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